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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23069683">A Thing About You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinaSark/pseuds/MinaSark'>MinaSark</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Entertainment Reporter!Rey, F/M, Hollywood AU, Movie Star!Poe, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:49:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,664</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23069683</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinaSark/pseuds/MinaSark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Press tours in general were Poe Dameron’s least favorite thing about his given profession, but junket days were by far the worst. The endless onslaught of one on one interviews that were too short to really get into anything meaningful with a rotating cast of entertainment reporters that more or less blurred together were never his idea of a good time.</p><p>Rey Smith never envisioned herself as a serious entertainment reporter. Working press lines and producing video content at lesser film festivals and fan conventions was one thing, but then she finds herself sitting across from Poe Dameron—yes, that Poe Dameron—and everything seems to change.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Poe Dameron/Rey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Macbeth Press Tour (April)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Just a random plot bunny that popped into my head over the weekend.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="s3"><span class="s2">Poe </span> <span class="s2">Dameron</span> <span class="s2"> wanted nothing more than to be done with the press junket and go home.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">Press tours in general were not his favorite thing, but junket days were by far the worst. Talk shows were easy. Group interviews? No problem. But the endless onslaught of one on one interviews that were too short to really get into anything meaningful with a rotating cast of entertainment reporters </span><span class="s2">who</span> <span class="s2">more or less blurred</span><span class="s2"> together w</span><span class="s2">as </span><span class="s2">never his idea of a good time. </span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">And this </span> <span class="s2">particular junket</span> <span class="s2"> day was </span> <em><span class="s4">exceptionally</span></em> <span class="s2"> brutal.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">He was currently promoting a small indie film that he was </span> <span class="s2">extremely</span> <span class="s2"> proud of, but all anyone could talk about was the upcoming blockbuster franchise that he was starring in. While it didn’t come out for another eight months, the first teaser trailer for it had dropped the day before and after about three or four questions relating to the work he was there to </span> <span class="s2">actually promote</span> <span class="s2">, </span> <span class="s2">the interviews would inevitably turn to questions about the </span> <span class="s2">upcoming </span> <span class="s2">film.</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">Questions he was contractually unable to answer. </span>
</p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">For the most part. </span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">While a lot of the details surrounding the </span><span class="s2">Starkiller</span><span class="s2"> Saga were secrets that were bound by a pretty intense NDA, there were several that he’d been given the go ahead to reveal since the teaser dropped. Details that were still relatively vague and ultimately unimportant to the main plot of the film, but enough to build a buzz until </span><span class="s2">Starkiller</span><span class="s2"> Celebration whe</span><span class="s2">re</span><span class="s2"> the full trailer </span><span class="s2">would be </span><span class="s2">released</span> <span class="s2">and he</span><span class="s2">’</span><span class="s2">d be at liberty to discuss more. It was just that Poe hadn’t </span><span class="s2">really </span><span class="s2">been in the mood to divulge any of those details that day knowing </span><span class="s2">full well that if he said anything that</span><span class="s2"> was more than a coy “we’ll have to wait and see</span><span class="s2">,</span><span class="s2">”</span><span class="s2"> it would </span><span class="s2">overshadow anything he said about his current film.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">So</span> <span class="s2"> it was a long day of him trying to be nonchalant and charming, evading answers with a smile when he really just wanted to scream in frustration.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">At thirty-two, Poe had been in the business for a little over a decade, having been cast in his first film while he was studying at </span> <span class="s2">Takodana</span> <span class="s2"> Arts Academy</span> <span class="s2">. He had a steady stream of b-parts in major motion pictures with some starring roles in a few off-Broadway productions until six years ago when he’d landed the lead in a film by famed indie director Leia Organa-Solo who had been in the audience of one of those off Broadway productions. She had </span> <span class="s2">marched</span> <span class="s2"> backstage after the show—Poe quickly found out that no one could really stop Leia from doing pretty much anything once she was determined to do it—and asked him then and there if he would be interested in starring in </span> <span class="s2">a</span> <span class="s2"> film</span> <span class="s2"> she was working on</span> <span class="s2">. That little movie about a proud but struggling folk musician had garnered him plenty of attention during awards season—including a surprise Oscar nomination that year.</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">Since then, it seemed as though his star had skyrocketed. </span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">He had a steady stream of work ranging in everything from the smaller independent films to the larger studio productions, though landing a leading role in the upcoming </span> <span class="s2">Starkiller</span> <span class="s2"> franchise was </span> <span class="s2">by far the biggest thing he’d ever done in his career. And he was excited about it. He really was. It was just that the movie he was currently promoting, a bold unconventional production of Macbeth, was a project that was near and dear to his heart.</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">It reunited him with Leia who he had genuinely enjoyed working with and practically owed his career to—a fact that she frequently reminded him of with one of her trademark smirks—and Macbeth was one of his favorite plays. He was stunned when Leia had approached him for the role—he was a little young to be playing the tragic Scottish King—but when he heard Leia’s vision, he immediately said yes. </span>
</p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">It was unlike any Shakespeare production he’d ever been a part of or even seen. They had used the Restoration adaption of the script, choosing to set the events of the play in seventeenth century Bedlam instead of doing a traditional, straightforward staging. It’d required a lot of research—Leia had worked closely with a whole host of scholars to make sure every aspect of what they were doing was true to the source material and true to the time in which it was set. Poe spent months developing this version of the character Macbeth—working with a handful of research fellows and professors who specialized in everything from Shakespeare to Restoration England to really get his performance right. A performance he considered to be some of the best work he’d ever done.</span>
</p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">He wanted to talk about it.</span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">Which was why it was </span> <span class="s4">so damn frustrating</span> <span class="s2"> that all anyone cared to ask him were the basic “So another cinematic adaption of Shakespeare…” and "What makes Shakespeare so timeless?" line of questioning before quickly turning into questions that were intended to no-so-</span> <span class="s2">subtly</span> <span class="s2"> trick him into giving out details for </span> <span class="s2">Starkiller</span> <span class="s2">.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">After a couple hours of this, he was nearly at his breaking point when his assistant, Snap, came over with a bottle of water and the good news that the next interview would the last one of the </span> <span class="s2">day</span> <span class="s2">.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">Poe looked over towards the door where a young woman had just entered the room, stopping in front of one of her outlet's technicians to get </span> <span class="s2">mic’d</span> <span class="s2"> up. She appeared to be in her early to mid</span> <span class="s2">-</span> <span class="s2">twenties, but despite her youth, he couldn’t help but notice how striking she looked—</span> <span class="s2">then again, </span> <span class="s2">a crisp white blazer was </span> <span class="s2">pretty hard</span> <span class="s2"> not to notice in an otherwise darkened room. He was pretty sure she wasn’t aware that he could see her as </span> <span class="s2">she stood there letting her colleague adjust the settings on her mic pack</span> <span class="s2"> while </span> <span class="s2">she </span> <span class="s2">quickly read through her note cards</span> <span class="s2">. </span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">Poe knew that he was intruding on a </span> <span class="s2">private moment</span> <span class="s2">—her </span> <span class="s2">last-minute</span> <span class="s2"> preparations to make sure</span> <span class="s2">she would</span> <span class="s2">n’t forget to say a line</span> <span class="s2"> or to make sure she had the pronunciation of certain words right</span> <span class="s2">. It was a ritual he was very familiar with</span> <span class="s2">. He was about to look away when </span> <span class="s2">suddenly, her </span> <span class="s2">entire</span> <span class="s2">face lit up as she smiled at something the sound technician had said</span> <span class="s2"> to her</span> <span class="s2">. </span> <span class="s2">While Poe wouldn’t say he knew every single reporter who had interviewed him today—he recognized quite a few of them from previous press tours and movie premiers</span> <span class="s2">. He</span> <span class="s2"> did not recognize her. </span></p><p class="s3">
  <em><span class="s4">I</span> <span class="s4"> would remember that smile</span></em>
  <span class="s2">, he thought to himself before he immediately shut that line of thinking down.</span>
</p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">He was at work and so was she. He would be nothing but professional.</span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">Poe watched as the reporter moved </span> <span class="s2">towards</span> <span class="s2"> him</span> <span class="s2">, </span> <span class="s2">trying his hardest not to notice how her hazel eyes seemed to sparkle when they met his or </span> <span class="s2">how her </span> <span class="s2">chin length</span> <span class="s2"> hair had been styled in silky looking waves that perfectly framed her face. He </span> <span class="s4">definitely</span> <span class="s2"> did</span> <span class="s2"> not </span> <span class="s2">examine</span> <span class="s2"> too closely why it was that he found himself smiling his first genuine smile of the day when she took her seat across from him</span> <span class="s2"> as the camera crew finished setting up</span> <span class="s2">.</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">She h</span>
  <span class="s2">eld out a hand.</span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“I’m Rey. Rey Smith with </span> <span class="s2">Niima</span> <span class="s2"> Entertainment News.” She said with that smile of hers that, up close, was genuinely disarming and…a British accent?</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“Poe </span> <span class="s2">Dameron</span> <span class="s2">.” He </span> <span class="s2">replied</span> <span class="s2">, reaching out to take her proffered hand, “You’re with NEN?”</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">It was a </span> <span class="s2">fairly large</span> <span class="s2"> entertainment outlet that had both a prime-time television show and large digital presence. They</span> <span class="s2">’d been around for decades and had </span> <span class="s2">several entertainment reporters that had become personalities within their own rights—Rey Smith</span> <span class="s2">, however,</span> <span class="s2"> was not a NEN personality that </span> <span class="s2">sounded familiar</span> <span class="s2">.</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">Rey nodded, before she glanced around nervously, “This is my first one on one interview, actually.”</span>
</p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">And now he knew why.</span>
</p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">“Well, I promise not to make it too painful.” He joked as he braced himself for what he assumed would be a slow and stilted interview. He even felt a little sorry that her first one-on-one was for such a niche film. </span>
</p><p class="s3"><em><span class="s4">At least she seems nice enough</span></em><span class="s2"><em>,</em> Poe thought. Maybe the interview wouldn’t be </span> <span class="s2">too terrible</span><span class="s2">—his last one for the day, he reminded himself.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">Much to his surprise, it was the best interview he'd had </span> <span class="s2">that day.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">Rey asked him </span><span class="s2">engaging</span><span class="s2"> questions about the creative choices specific to the film’s adaption that she had no doubt gleaned from the </span><span class="s2">previously released </span><span class="s2">press materials</span><span class="s2">, b</span><span class="s2">ut t</span><span class="s2">here were certain questions she asked that indicated she had done research </span><span class="s2">well </span><span class="s2">beyond the press release</span><span class="s2">.</span> <span class="s2">She asked </span><span class="s2">questions specific to the Restoration adaption of the script and how it differed from the First Folio, and Poe was more than happy to answer them in as great a detail as the question</span><span class="s2">s</span><span class="s2">deserved.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">She checked her note cards every once and awhile to ensure that she was asking all that she had intended, but she wasn’t afraid to ask follow up questions as his answers warranted them in a way that seemed as though they were just having a nice chat over coffee</span><span class="s2">. A</span><span class="s2">lbeit an </span><span class="s4">extremely</span><span class="s2">nerdy chat, but in her follow ups, Poe noticed that Rey would help breakdown his answer</span><span class="s2">s</span><span class="s2">, clarifying a few things in a jovial way that </span><span class="s2">when the interview would be edited down, their conversation</span> <span class="s2">would be </span><span class="s2">entertaining to theater enthusiasts and general audiences alike.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">Most refreshingly, she didn’t ask about </span> <span class="s2">Starkiller</span> <span class="s2"> once.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“I’ve got to say, I’m impressed at your self-control.” He remarked towards the end of their allotted </span> <span class="s2">ten</span> <span class="s2"> minutes.</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">She scrunched her nose in confusion, “Pardon?”</span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“You’re the first one today that hasn’t asked about </span> <span class="s2">Starkiller</span> <span class="s2">.”</span> <span class="s2"> He explained, pointedly ignoring how adorable—there was really no other word to describe it</span><span class="s2">, professionalism be damned</span><span class="s2">—she looked when she looked at him as though he had just said something completely baffling.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“Well…you’re here promoting Macbeth.” She </span><span class="s2">stated slowly</span> <span class="s2">as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“Yeah, but…</span> <span class="s2">” Poe faltered, trying to figure out what he wanted to say. This had all sounded much more charming in his head—he’d make a quip, she’d respond with a laugh, and they would move on. He had not expected her to call him out on his bullshit—hadn’t he just been complaining that all anyone wanted to talk about was </span> <span class="s2">Starkiller</span><span class="s2">?—</span> <span class="s2">though he didn’t think it was a conscious </span> <span class="s2">effort</span> <span class="s2"> on her part. She seemed genuinely confused as to why he </span> <span class="s2">had expected her </span> <span class="s2">she </span> <span class="s2">to ask</span> <span class="s2"> him about </span> <span class="s2">the upcoming blockbuster.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“G</span><span class="s2">enerally,</span> <span class="s2"> people end these things with questions about it since the trailer dropped yesterday.” He continued,</span> <span class="s2"> stumbling only slightly over his words when he realized he was practically explaining her job to her. </span></p><p class="s3">
  <em><span class="s4">Smooth, </span> <span class="s4">Dameron</span><span class="s4">.</span></em>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“You know</span><span class="s2">…” </span> <span class="s4"><em>Why was he still talking?</em> </span> <span class="s2">“…</span><span class="s2">try to grab a quote that would be a click-worthy headline.”</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">Rey seemed to think about this for a moment before she gave him a considering look, “Well, can you tell me anything other than what we already know about your character </span> <span class="s2">Casar</span> <span class="s2"> Casio, other than he’s a Resistance fighter pilot or anything beyond </span> <span class="s2">a literal interpretation of the</span> <span class="s2"> footage in the trailer?”</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">“Not really, no.” He answered.</span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“Then it sounds like asking you questions about </span> <span class="s2">Starkiller</span> <span class="s2"> would be a waste of both of our times.”</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">A beat passed before Poe let out a surprised laugh and Rey’s eyes immediately widened when she no doubt realized how brisk she had sounded.</span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“Oh!</span> <span class="s2">” she exclaimed, “</span> <span class="s2">I am </span> <span class="s4">so sorry</span><span class="s2">—“</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">“Don’t be.” Poe waved her off, grinning, “It’s refreshing.”</span>
</p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">“Thank you.” She mumbled dipping her head down as she looked back down at her note cards, her cheeks tinging slightly pink from what Poe was certain was carefully concealed mortification.</span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">He snuck a look over at Snap who gave him the signal that it there was only one-minute remaining in the allotted interview time, a fact that </span> <span class="s2">surprisingly</span> <span class="s2"> made him feel a little sad. </span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">“Final question!” He announced as he clapped his hands together excitedly, “What do you got for me?”</span>
</p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">Rey glanced up, meeting his enthusiasm with a small smile of her own, all hint of a blush gone</span>
  <span class="s2">. </span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">She was</span> <span class="s2"> back to business.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“You’re no stranger to the troubled King of Scotland, having performed the role at </span> <span class="s2">Takodana</span> <span class="s2">—”</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“How do you know that I played Macbeth at </span> <span class="s2">Takodana</span><span class="s2">?” He interrupted, stunned that she even knew that fact.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">There had been one</span> <span class="s2">, maybe</span> <span class="s2"> two reviews about it—they were </span> <span class="s2">actually Poe's</span> <span class="s2"> first reviews </span> <span class="s4">ever</span><span class="s2">—but he had no idea that they were still out there, circulating around </span> <span class="s2">on </span> <span class="s2">the internet. </span> <span class="s2">At least, no one who had interviewed him previously had found them. </span> <span class="s2">He remembered with some sense of relief that they had at least been </span> <span class="s2">good</span> <span class="s2">. Well, as good as they could be about any </span> <span class="s2">twenty-year-old</span> <span class="s2">performing Shakespeare with all the sincerity of what he had considered at the time to be a</span> <span class="s2"> that of a</span> <span class="s2"> 'true thespian.'</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">Rey simply blinked at him in that no-nonsense way of hers that Poe was starting to find </span> <span class="s2">a little too </span> <span class="s2">endearing, “Well…I do my research.”</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">“Indeed, you do.” He agreed as a slow smile began to spread across his face, giving her an apologetic wave, “Sorry, continue.”</span>
</p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">“What was it like taking on the character again after twelve years let alone in such a unique adaptation him?”</span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">Poe practically beamed at her before </span><span class="s2">launching into</span><span class="s2"> one of his most heartfelt answers of the day</span><span class="s2">. Sure, he may have delved</span> <span class="s2">a little too far </span><span class="s2">into the weeds about his process as an actor, </span><span class="s2">how you always </span><span class="s2">have to</span><span class="s2"> see things from the character’s perspective and believe what the character believes. After all, the most compelling villains—or at least in this instance, tragic protagonist—</span><span class="s2">think</span><span class="s2"> that what they’re doing is right. </span><span class="s2">If you as an actor don’t believe that, why should you expect the audience to? Why would anyone want to watch a character make mistake after mistake if they weren’t invested in them if you as an actor didn’t give an audience reason to invest in them, no matter how doomed their fate? </span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">At the end Poe</span> <span class="s2">peppered in some self-deprecating humor about how </span><span class="s2">his ‘process’ </span><span class="s2">has evolved since his days in school to balance it </span><span class="s2">all </span><span class="s2">out so he didn't seem like a total hotshot</span><span class="s2">. </span><span class="s2">When he was finished, Rey gave him a small nod.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“Thank you, I think that just about does it for my time.” She moved to stand as the production crew around them began their tear down process, but </span> <span class="s2">he </span> <span class="s2">motioned for her to sit, earning a small frown from both her and Snap.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">Poe had moved without even thinking, not ready for this interview to be over quite yet. He knew this interview was a good one, his own personal biases aside. There was a lot </span> <span class="s2">of</span> <span class="s2"> information contained in his answers about the film—a credit to Rey’s questions—but as much as Poe had enjoyed </span> <span class="s4">finally</span> <span class="s2"> being able to say everything that he had wanted to, he knew that there wouldn’t be a large amount of traffic heading to NEN’s site to watch this </span> <span class="s2">particular </span> <span class="s2">interview</span> <span class="s2"> or really, any of the day’s interviews.</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">Not unless something else drew them there first.</span>
</p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">“Give me one of your cards.” He said, holding out a hand.</span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">Rey did as she was told and handed him the topmost card of the </span> <span class="s2">three</span> <span class="s2"> she held in her hand</span><span class="s2">, though she was looking at him very skeptically, which was fair</span><span class="s2">.</span> <span class="s2"> He was being </span> <span class="s2">more than a little</span> <span class="s2">cryptic.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">But instead of explaining, h</span><span class="s2">e asked</span><span class="s2">, </span> <span class="s2">“Do you have a pen?” </span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">She quickly produced one and watched him as he began to scribble something on the bottom of her card underneath the questions and </span> <span class="s2">topics</span> <span class="s2"> she had neatly printed there that appeared to be organized with some sort of color-coded system, because </span> <span class="s4">of course</span> <span class="s2"> they were.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">He handed her the card back despite wanting to examine it a little more and motioned for the film crew to start rolling</span> <span class="s2"> again</span> <span class="s2">.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">Rey looked from the card to Poe with a shocked expression </span> <span class="s2">and he</span> <span class="s2"> gave her</span> <span class="s2"> what he hoped was</span> <span class="s2"> a reassuring nod</span><span class="s2">. She</span> <span class="s2"> glanced over at the camera operator to confirm it was okay for her to go before meeting his gaze once more.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“So…Poe…</span><span class="s2">” </span> <span class="s2">She began carefully, almost hesitantly</span><span class="s2">, “</span> <span class="s2">I would be remiss if I didn’t ask about </span> <span class="s2">Starkiller</span><span class="s2">.” </span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">“Another upcoming small art house film I’m working on, yes.” Poe joked as he slipped back into the comfortable candor they’d had during their interview, trying to convey that this wasn’t a trick.</span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“What can you tell us about your character…the dashing Resistance pilot, </span> <span class="s2">Casar</span> <span class="s2"> Casio.” </span> <span class="s2">Rey kept her </span> <span class="s2">expression carefully neutral, though her right eyebrow did arch a bit when she had read his character description—okay, maybe he’d gotten </span> <span class="s4">a little</span> <span class="s2"> carried away and underlined ‘dashing’ more times than was strictly necessary.</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">“Well, for starters he’s best freaking pilot in the galaxy.” He exclaimed, grinning when Rey gave a small surprised chuckle, “He’s one of the Resistance’s most decorated pilots and he's been sent on a mission by a certain princess, and what happens on that mission sets off the chain of events of the entire movie.”</span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“So</span> <span class="s2">,</span> <span class="s2"> a bit part then?” Rey asked with thinly veiled amusement at his theatrics.</span> <span class="s2"> Good. She was playing along.</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“More or less.” He agreed with a grin</span><span class="s2">, “</span><span class="s2">Lliam</span> <span class="s2">Khram</span><span class="s2"> is missing and </span><span class="s2">Casar</span><span class="s2"> has been tasked with securing the intel on how to find him.”</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">“And does he?” She asks, setting him up perfectly for…</span>
</p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">“We’ll just have to wait and see.” </span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">Rey chuckled, nodding in a self deprecating way that suggested she should have known that would be his answer and Poe saw it for what it was—her </span> <span class="s2">acting as though she was just another reporter trying to trick him into giving her information even though he had freely given it to her. </span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">Rey Smith from Niima Entertainment News was <em>good.</em></span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“Well, I can’t wait</span><span class="s2">.” </span> <span class="s2">Rey </span> <span class="s2">responded, betraying nothing</span> <span class="s2"> as she wound the interview down for a second time, “Poe, it’s been a pleasure.”</span></p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">She held out a hand once more and </span> <span class="s2">h</span><span class="s2">e shook it, smiling well beyond when the cameras turned off.</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">“Wow, that was…thank you.” Rey said almost as if in shock as the production began to pack up around them</span>
  <span class="s2">, her previous bravado instantly gone once the cameras turned off.</span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">“Thank </span> <em><span class="s4">you</span></em> <span class="s2"> for a great interview.</span> <span class="s2">” </span> <span class="s2">Poe replied as he moved to stand, a member of the production crew helping him remove his lapel mic</span> <span class="s2">, “Really that was…that was a hell of a first one-on-one.”</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">With the microphone off, he was free to go—his long day of press finally over.</span>
</p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">It was weird, then, that he was suddenly reluctant to leave.</span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">Clearing his throat before he could think too hard on why he felt that wa</span><span class="s2">y, </span> <span class="s2">he gave Rey a small wave goodbye.</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s2">“It was nice meeting you, Rey Smith.”</span>
</p><p class="s3"><span class="s2">And before he could say anything too terribly stupid </span> <span class="s2">and unprofessional </span> <span class="s2">like 'I hope we </span> <span class="s2">see each other</span> <span class="s2"> again soon,' he headed home, chiding himself the entire way.</span></p><p class="s3"><em><span class="s4">Get it together, </span> <span class="s4">Dameron</span></em><span class="s4"><em>,</em> </span> <span class="s2">he thought.</span></p><p class="s3">
  <span class="s4">
    <em>It was just an interview. </em>
  </span>
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</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Falstaff Broadcast (Late April)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rey read the latest metrics from her one on one interview with Poe Dameron and smiled.</p><p>What had practically been a throw away assignment—all the other more seasoned reporters were busy covering higher priority movies—her interview with Poe was NEN’s most watched video and main traffic driver to its website from social where the company accounts were heavily promoting it. She knew it was because of the Starkiller scoop at the end, but still. She was proud of the metrics on the screen before her.</p><p>Rey watched the other interviews that Poe had done that day for some of the other outlets, marveling at the fact that the good majority of them had asked very basic questions about the film. Poe had to really do a lot of the leg work in giving answers that covered the talking points that she was almost certain the production company wanted him to hit which inadvertently caused him to come off as stiff and over serious.</p><p><em>Which was mind-boggling</em>, Rey thought, <em>because he was one of the nicest, most charming people she’d ever met</em>.</p><p>Their on screen chemistry aside, she had worked<em> hard</em> preparing for that interview, investing more time than she knew her coworkers would have. Sure it was mostly due to the fact that it was her first celebrity one on one and she needed it to go well, but she also couldn’t interview Poe Freaking Dameron, Oscar nominated actor, and <em>not </em>have her shit together—even if it was for a pretty niche film. Rey knew from what she’d seen of the trailers and the handful of articles that had been written so far about Leia Organa-Solo’s production of Macbeth, was that this would be another powerful performance from the actor. It may have been the assignment no one wanted to jump at, but the it was the interview that played to all of Rey's strengths.</p><p>After all, it was <em>Shakespeare. </em>She would practically have to renounce her British citizenship if she didn’t take the interview seriously and come prepared and ask detailed questions that would do the subject matter justice. Rey wanted her interview with Poe to come across as a conversation, almost making it her personal mission to make the Bard—and this radical production of his work—approachable and interesting. Her approach was simple: to conduct an interview that she personally would want to watch.</p><p>As it turned out, she had made the right choice.</p><p>It had been an excellent interview on its own—Rey noticed some other entertainment news sites and blogs were quoting it in their new Macbeth previews—but Poe had offered to give her exclusive details on Starkiller because he’d appreciated the work she’d put into <em>actually interviewing him</em> about the project he’d been so clearly passionate about during their conversation. After she had returned to the office to begin editing the footage, she set the notecard he’d written on in a place of prominence on her desk to remind herself that hard work really does pay off.</p><p>And that there are some genuinely nice people in the world.</p><p>In the three weeks since her interview with Poe, she’d been assigned more one on ones and Rey approached them all the same way: talk about the project at hand unless the conversation steered elsewhere on its own, careful never to force or press on a topic that her interviewee didn't seem interested in talking about further. She didn’t get any more scoops, but she did get candid conversations with her interviewees and the metrics in front of her indicated that the viewers were enjoying her one on one interview style. Some of the stats on her press line interviews from last year’s conventions were even seeing a small uptick in views. Even her rarely used Twitter handle had seen a bump in followers.</p><p>
  <em>Was she getting a following?</em>
</p><p>She smiled to herself at the absurd thought, took one last glance at Poe’s notecard, and got back to researching some of the upcoming films that would be premiering at the Coruscant International Film Festival. Films that she would be covering in two weeks’ time after she’d been told by her boss that morning she had been selected to cover and it wasn’t a coincidence that Macbeth was one of her assigned films.</p><p>Attending CIFF was a major milestone in her career.</p><p>She needed to celebrate.</p><hr/><p>“Wait. You’re doing <em>what</em> to celebrate?”</p><p>Rey looked over at Rose Tico, the first friend she had made when she’d moved to Los Angeles after college and current best-ever roommate, as she moved to grab her jacket.</p><p>“The cinema is broadcasting The Met’s performance of Falstaff.” Rey replied, chuckling as Rose made a grimace.</p><p>“When you said you wanted to celebrate this weekend, I thought you meant with <em>wine</em>.”</p><p>Rey supposed that seeing an opera in a movie theater was perhaps an objectively weird way to celebrate professional success, but she figured there was no better way to celebrate success stemming from an interview revolving around Shakespeare than with an Opera inspired by Shakespeare. The broadcast just-so-happened to land on her day off, so she took it as a sign.</p><p>“Wine is for <em>after</em>.” Rey grinned, “You sure you don’t want to come?”</p><p>Rose nodded, “Someone has to stay here to be sure the pino gris gets chilled.”</p><p>Laughing, Rey headed out the door.</p><p>The movie theater was a pretty decent distance away—about a thirty-minute walk—but the weather was perfect, and Rey was in too good of a mood to take the bus. Headphones in, Rey queued up a podcast and headed out.</p><p>She must have walked at a pretty clipped pace, because before she knew it, she was through the movie theater’s doors—ticket in hand—about twenty minutes earlier than she had anticipated. She decided to use some of the extra time to peruse the concession stand—this <em>was</em> a celebration after all—and once the Milk Duds and soda had been safely secured, Rey made her way to the individual theater and wasn’t at all shocked to find it was only her and one older couple in the entirety of the space.</p><p>She moved to the back row, settling into the seat that was <em>exactly</em> in the center of the row and after a few minutes of watching opera trivia on the screen, pulled out her phone to set it to silent before she forgot.</p><p>She didn’t even notice that someone else had walked into the theater and straight up to her row.</p><p>Straight up to her.</p><p>“It’s Rey, right?”</p><p>Rey practically jumped in her seat at the sudden voice. Her heart beat wildly as she looked up to see who had spoken, her eyes widening a little when she saw who it was.</p><p>Poe Dameron stared down at her looking nearly as startled as she felt.</p><p>“Sorry!” he exclaimed, holding his hands up apologetically, “I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. Just...thought it was you and wanted to say hi.”</p><p>Rey blinked.</p><p>Poe Dameron had seen her, recognized her, and <em>wanted to say hello?</em> Rey sent up a silent prayer that while she was dressed rather casually, she had at least thought to put on mascara that morning.</p><p>“Yes! Hello, Mr. Dameron.” She blurted out, silently panicking that she hadn’t stopped by the restroom to check her hair before she came into the theater as the walk over to the theater had been particularly windy. There was only <em>so tousled</em> a high bun could look before it turned into a full-on rat’s nest.</p><p>Before she could spiral too far down in panic at whether or not there was a specific protocol she needed to follow if she ran into a celebrity outside of a work assignment, Poe gave her a soft smile which effectively caused any and all thinking to stop.</p><p>“Please. It’s Poe.”</p><p><em>Right</em>, Rey thought as she felt herself relax. They were in a theater. They were there to see a screening of Falstaff—which, <em>of course</em> was something Poe would come to as the last time she had seen him, they’d engaged in an incredibly nerdy conversation with him about Shakespeare.</p><p>He was dressed nearly just as casually as her, which put her even more at ease considering the last time she had seen him, he was in a designer motorcycle jacket that she was almost certain could cover the rest of her rent for the year. Out in the real world he was a wildly talented movie star, but in this theater, he was simply someone who just wanted to see a movie—well, an opera—just like her.</p><p>Which was perhaps why Rey asked before her brain could fully cautch up, “Would you...like to...” while she gestured at the seat next to her.</p><p>It was not her most eloquent moment.</p><p>“Only if it wouldn’t bother you.” Poe replied as he swept a hand across the nearly empty theater, “I can literally sit anywhere else.”</p><p>Rey smiled at the offer, “No, it wouldn’t be a bother.”</p><p>Poe took the seat next to her and nodded down at her lap where her unopened box of theater candy had miraculously not fallen to the floor when she’d been startled</p><p>“Milk Duds...” he commented before holding up a box of his own, “Excellent choice.”</p><p>And just like that they fell into an easy report, the two of them discussing the merits of various theater candies before their conversation led to other more meaningful topics. Rey was careful not to talk to him about anything that could be considered his “work”—or her work for that matter. Instead they talked about theatre; their favorite plays, favorite musicals, favorite operas.</p><p>“I try to catch a live performance when I’m back in New York.” Poe commented nodding at the screen, “It’s just been a busy couple of years and I’m not home as much, so luckily there is a pretty good alternative.”</p><p>Rey smiled wistfully, “I would kill to see an opera live at The Met. Maybe later this year when I’m there for Comic Con I can sneak away one evening.”</p><p>“You’re doing New York Comic Con?”</p><p>Rey winced, realizing that she had inadvertently brought up work, “All of the major cons, actually.” She explained. “Up until recently,” she flashed Poe a meaningful look, “that’s been my main beat—group interviews and press lines at all those large live events, panel breakdowns...”</p><p>“I knew it,” Poe interrupted grinning, “you’re a <em>nerd</em>.”</p><p>“Well, it takes one to know one.” Rey huffed, smiling despite herself.</p><p>“This is my first time going to any of them.” Poe confessed, dipping his head slightly, “Any pointers?”</p><p>Rey scrunched her nose as she considered his question, amused. <em>Was he really asking </em>her <em>for advice?</em></p><p>“Get plenty of sleep.” She said after a moment of deliberation, “Cons are exhausting, so you’ll want to be well rested. Stay hydrated, make sure you have snacks readily accessible—“</p><p>“Should I be writing this down somewhere?” Poe asked, making a show of patting himself down as though he was searching for a pen.</p><p>Rey rolled her eyes at his antics.</p><p>“I imagine it’s <em>quite</em> different for talent than it is for press, but…don’t forget to have fun.” She concluded, “It’s an experience that’s truly hard to describe. If your schedule allows it, try to make time to walk the floor.”</p><p>Poe gave her a look.</p><p>“I mean...wear a mask or something,” she amended with a shrug, “but you should really do it. Get the full experience.”</p><p>“I’ll see if I can’t fit some free time in my schedule for that.” Poe said, looking at Rey with consideration, “So wait, you said you’ll be there?”</p><p>“We don’t have specific assignments yet, but yes.” Rey answered, “I’ll be at the three major ones that I’m assuming you’ll also be at: Starkiller Celebration, SDCC, and NYCC.”</p><p>“I’ll be sure to keep a look out for you.”</p><p>Rey dipped her head, feeling her cheeks warm a little, much to her mortification.</p><p>“I’ll also be at CIFF.” She said, staring intently at the seat in front of her, “I just found out the other day.”</p><p>"Really?”</p><p>Something in Poe’s voice made her look up. Was he…excited?</p><p>“Yes.” Rey nodded, “Our interview sort of...bumped my name up on the list of those NEN is sending. So, I’ll be covering the Raddus Theatre all three days.”</p><p>It took only a second for Poe to understand what she was implying, and he leaned towards her, practically bursting with excitement, “So you’ll be at the Macbeth premiere?”</p><p>Rey nodded, “I’ll be at the premiere.”</p><p>Poe beamed, “I can’t wait to tell Leia. She loved that interview, by the way.”</p><p>Her eyes widened, “Really? Leia? That’s...wow…”</p><p>Rey sat back in her chair, stunned at the prospect of one of the women she had admired for pretty much her entire life, was not only aware of her work, but had liked it, “Leia really saw it?”</p><p>Poe nodded, “It was a great interview.”</p><p>He ran a hand through his hair as he gave her a sheepish look, “I’ve uh...actually watched some of your other stuff since. You’re really good.”</p><p>This time, Rey was 100% certain she was blushing.</p><p>“It’s a lot of work making it look so easy.” Poe continued, sounding almost as uncomfortable as she felt, “As someone who has been on the receiving end of <em>many</em> awkward interviews, I can honestly say that we always remember the good ones.”</p><p>He sat back in his chair, clearing his throat as he picked up his box of candy, “I’ll stop complimenting you now and we can go back to talking about Milk Duds.”</p><p>“They really are the superior theatre treat.” Rey agreed, her face still <em>quite hot</em> as the lights in the theater began to dim. “And thank you,” she added softly.</p><p>They were silent though the performance and Rey resolutely remained focused on the screen, the surrealness of sitting next to <em>Poe Dameron</em>—in a movie theatre of all places—hitting her in full force as the overture began. <em>How was this even her life?</em></p><p>The two hours flew by and before Rey knew it, the lights of the theater came up and she moved to stand. She followed Poe out of the theater and he hesitated for a moment when he saw that she would be heading for the lobby<em>. Of course</em>, she thought. He’d want to leave through the back door, which meant that any goodbyes would need to be said then and there.</p><p>“It was good running into you, Poe.” She said</p><p>“It was good running into you, Rey. I’ll see you at CIFF.”</p><p>“See you at CIFF.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sigh...I love these nerds.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>That production of Macbeth is a real thing happened a couple of years ago (albeit on stage and not film). I was lucky enough to sit in on rehearsals for it when visiting D.C. and it was honestly one of the coolest theater experiences I've ever had: https://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2018/09/12/review-macbeth-at-the-folger-shakespeare-theatre/</p></blockquote></div></div>
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